The metal-polymer junction is ubiquitous interface in a wide variety of application settings. For example, in plumbing, overmolded inserts can provide for connections and fluid flow passageways between different plumbing fixtures (e.g., pipes). As another example, in electrical wiring applications, polymeric sheaths are formed around the electrically conductive metal core to provide abrasion protection, corrosion protection, and dielectric insulation to the underlying conductive core. As a further example, in mobile electronic devices (e.g. mobile phones and tablets), polymer materials are highly desirable due to their light weight and strength, relative to metal compositions. Correspondingly, many mobile electronic devices incorporate polymer housings (e.g., cases) or polymer supports for internal electronic components into their designs, to reduce weight while providing desirable levels of strength and flexibility. Accordingly, application settings involving metal-polymer junction designs rely heavily on the strength of the metal-polymer junction.